Erin Corwin’s murder rocks Twentynine Palms community

This is the last day Cynthia Truitt says she’ll wear her purple ribbon, a symbol of the search for Erin Corwin which, after nearly two months, finally came to an end.

“We all had a feeling something like this had happened because of the length of time since she went missing, but it doesn’t make it any easier hearing it,” Truitt said. She’s the executive director at the Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce, which distributed nearly 300 ribbons in honor of Corwin’s search. The ribbons, which represent Corwin’s favorite color, were made by another Twentynine Palms Marine wife, who never met Corwin or her family.

The news that Corwin’s body was found Saturday in a mine shaft southeast of Twentynine Palms devastated people who live in the close-knit community.

“They’re just heartbroken, everyone feels really sad for the family. It was like we were all a part of it,” said Dalene Robinson of Twentynine Palms.

Some wonder where the wife of Corwin’s alleged killer, Christopher Brandon Lee, fits into the case, after police hinted Corwin and Lee shared an intimate relationship..

“Passion runs deep when someone sleeps with someone’s husband,” Robinson said.

“My husband and I talk about a lot of things and I couldn’t imagine her having a relationship and not being privy to some sort of information,” Truitt said.

As more information comes to light in this investigation, everyone hopes the family has the closure they need to finally put Corwin to rest.

“The closure is going to be good because the not knowing was really hard for everyone,” Robinson said.

“That would probably be the most difficult part for any parent: having a child go missing and not know if that child is dead, if the child’s alive,” Truitt said.

For Truitt, the purple ribbon will now serve as a reminder to hold her own children just a little bit tighter.